Smile Now, Cry Later
by lilangelita
Summary: AU. Aang roams around depressed about being the Avatar with a new companion, while Katara and Sokka struggle to survive. I suck at summaries, R&R!


Smile Now, Cry Later

Chapter 1: Keep Your Head Up

(In Some Rural Part Of The Earth Kingdom)  
Aang looked down at the bundle in his lap and sighed depressingly. "Fuka, we don't have any more food."

Fuka, a cat-girl, frowned and paced around their meager campsite deep in thought. She narrowed her eyebrows and placed her hands on her hips before finally smiling brightly. "I know!" She exclaimed happily. "What if we go into the city and you "perform" some air bending for a couple copper coins! You can "pretend" to be the Avatar!"

There was silence as Aang bowed his head and clenched his fists tightly.

"Aang?" Fuka purred softly as she neared him. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" He hissed in frustration with tears in his sad grey eyes. "Everything I knew and loved is gone and now I have to save some world I don't even know from being destroyed by a power hungry king! . . . Why!"

Fuka bit her lip and attempted to get a little closer to Aang by placing a gentle hand on his shivering shoulder. However, Aang wasn't ready just yet to be comforted and swatted Fuka's hand away violently. His eyes were red with anger and deep sadness, he felt so many emotions that they conflicted with one another and made him feel even more depressed. Fuka couldn't handle seeing him so torn so she did the only thing she could do, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly.

At first, the sudden warmth surprised Aang and for an instant he forgot everything around him, but only for an instant. Once he realized it was Fuka who was hugging him he began sobbing into his hands and shaking violently. Reality hurt, and Fuka knew it, so she just continued hugging him until he finally cried himself to sleep.

It happened several nights since they had finally escaped the iceberg, and every time it did Fuka was there for him . . . And she promised herself that she would always be.

(An Earth Kingdom City)  
Katara sighed as she and her brother Sokka passed yet another cart full of food at the marketplace. They hadn't eaten in three days and hadn't had some water since the night before. Not only did they have no money, but they also had no home. When night would come Katara would pitch up a tent somewhere off in the woods of the Earth Kingdom city while Sokka went to collect some wood to at least make a decent fire.

However, things were different now. Winter was fast approaching and their worn out tent wouldn't be able to keep them warm during those frosty and chilly nights. So, in order to at least get a good place to stay for the winter, Sokka had to find a stable job that paid well. The odds of that were very slim, but Katara never gave up hope and she made sure that Sokka didn't either.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any jobs for fifteen year-olds around here." A farmer they had stumbled upon said apologetically with a frown. "Work around here is tough. It takes a full grown man to do this kind of job."

Sokka clenched his fists and raised his chin to look the farmer straight in the eyes. "Please, my sister hasn't eaten in three days . . ." He trailed off slightly but regained his composure immediately. "My Father told me to take care of her before he went off to go to war, I can't fail him."

The farmer glanced over at Katara and noticed her frail form with some sadness. Then he looked back at Sokka who remained in the same position he had last seen him in. "Alright, you can pick some cotton for me, but only until this season ends. You got it?"

Sokka turned to Katara, who after some thought nodded her head hesitantly and smiled tiredly. Finally, they had some stability and a little cabin to stay in for the upcoming winter. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

(Later That Month In The Earth Kingdom City)  
Aang trudged through some muddy puddles as he led Appa along a tall hill, Fuka was riding on top of Appa with a bad cough while Momo watched her in curiosity. Two days before she had been playing with Momo after it had stopped raining, when she lost her balance on some lake that had been covered in ice and ultimately fell in to her doom. Fuka wasn't a very good swimmer, and the lake was very cold so she ended up sending Momo as her messenger to Aang. After many hours in the freezing water and many failed attempts at trying to get out, Fuka began to get tired and very warm all of a sudden when she stopped moving. Aang shortly came afterwards and managed to save Fuka, but now she was sick. With no way of curing her himself Aang decided to make a trip to the nearest city, if there was one.

"Aang . . ." Fuka whispered hoarsely and coughed repeatedly afterwards. "I really don't feel good, everything hurts."

Aang gritted his teeth as he helped Appa over the hill, it was too dangerous to ride Appa even though it would have been easier. "I know, Fuka. Help is on the way, don't worry."

Fuka shivered slightly and then smiled. "I wasn't worried." This time she coughed up some blood, but decided against telling Aang and cleaned it off on her dirty robe. "I know you'll take good care of me . . ."

(Katara's and Sokka's Cabin)  
It was four o'clock in the morning and Sokka lay sleeping while Katara prepared some breakfast for the poor boy. She made sure not to make too much noise so as not to disturb his slumber and tiredly continued to make some stewed prunes. Even though it would remind them of home, it was better to remember than to forget. Katara never wanted to forget and she knew Sokka didn't either.

"Hmm, stewed prunes." Sokka mumbled in his sleep and then rolled over. "I'm sorry . . . Father . . ."

Katara blinked at her brother and then fought back tears as she tried to concentrate on the prunes in front of her. Although they finally had some money and a place to stay, the work was very tiresome and difficult. It took Sokka everything he had in himself to continue working everyday for a couple of copper coins here and there. Katara felt useless so she decided to make some food and sell it to the other workers for a bit more cash, she also sometimes did their laundry when possible. She saved some of the money she earned in hopes of using it when Sokka's seasonal job was done and they were back to the cold unfriendly woods.

---------------End of the first chapter! Tell me what you think. Should I continue or not? Hate it or love it, I'd love to hear it:P

"The One and Only But Never Lonely" lilangelita a. k. a. Krystal


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